Crocuses

Bought a bag of 25 Crocus bulbs from Home Bargains today for 99p. They are a flower I've never had and wanted some colour for that very beginning of spring having only got Snowdrops right now. I'm assuming they are a simple 'shove them in the ground and wait' kind of bulb? Any special considerations? Looking forward to next spring already

Put them close together because they are tiny, I grow them in window boxes. But put them in the ground close and they will be fine. Put them close to the house so you can see them, you dont want to go out in the snow go see them!

Wish we could grow them, I love Crocus. In our previous garden I had thousands and a lot of the species too, expensive some of them. Here? Mouse fodder!. Plant them and then in Spring you find a tuft of leaves, but no corm underneath. Lost almost all the ones we have ever planted, except C thomasinianus which breeds rapidly and just about keeps up with the mice.

And yes I have tried planting them in baskets and all the other suggestions too, no difference, they get eaten.

Hi my friend. Sadly you never said just where you wanted to plant them! In pots or containers. Plant them double their depth, cover and leave. In lawns and grass areas especially close to wooded areas. Take out a suitable sized turf, spread the bulbs out and replace the turf. Pressing it firmly but gently back in place. That way you will get a good attractive clump of flowers in the spring.

I have mine in pots Fishy, planted closer together than it says on the planting instructions. I have them with daffs and tulips so I get flowers for a good couple of months and the pots are currently in the 'nursery' area waiting to bring out again in spring

I think I shall get some for pots this year, I lose mine. I may weed them out or lose them to mice and voles but they never multiply except for the tomasinianus in the lawn, They're safe but don't multiply much

I think I'll order another mixture and plant them anyway - can't have too many but if only a few of the ones I planted last autumn reappear it'll be a disappointment and also be too late to do anything about it.

Many thanks indeed everyone for your very kind responses and invaluable advice. I'll have to decide on container planting or in the ground. Perhaps both? I'm hoping the presence of two dogs might put off voles and squirrels but that might be a little optimistic when the squirrels run along my fence regardless. I didn't realise crocuses were quite so palatable